Being Black or Brown in the Green Rush is a labor of love, dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of American citizens, particularly those people of color, unjustly targeted, prosecuted and incarcerated over decades and still today. Nothing will repay the toll in time, lives, and dignity stolen from you and your families by America’s indefensible drug policies that created the marijuana (cannabis) prohibition.

Since we first conceived this book, several well-intentioned “social equity” programs have been integrated into states’ existing marijuana programs or introduced as a component of states’ new legalization reforms. While there is still much work to be done, the darkness of cannabis prohibition is giving light to opportunities where women and people of color are offered their rightful place at the table.

We have written this book because both of us wish there had been a “blueprint” that would have helped us understand how the cannabis industry worked when we first started. We could have saved countless days, weeks, and months learning how to work the system, prevented hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost investment, and navigated the obvious and hidden traps and challenges that face every marijuana business operator. It is our hope that this book will provide you, the reader, with a practical blueprint of how you can participate in the burgeoning multi-billion-dollar legal cannabis industry. As minorities, we have always paid a disparate toll on the road to success, so we hope to level that road and maybe give you an advantage in what has been described as the “Green Rush.” You are ready to take your place at this unparalleled moment in American history. Combine the experience and knowledge offered on these pages with your desire to succeed and make a plan that carves out your place in America’s legal cannabis industry.

For Ingrid: A particularly warm and heartfelt thanks to my co-author, Yuri Downing, always a mentor, a friend, and my favorite “garden gnome” with attitude. Also, my immense gratitude to Bob Calkin of Cannabis Career Institute (CCI), who was not only my first teacher and mentor, but most importantly, a friend. “Bob, I walked into your class a novice, my first week in the industry, many years ago. Through your guidance and mentorship, I’ve been recognized as an industry authority, and now as an author. Thank you for your continued support.” Lastly, to my immediate family – Eddy, Shakirah, Felipe and of course, Boston (Mr. B). You are my “why” to keep pushing on. Thank you for your continued love, support and encouragement. I love you all the way to the moon and back again.

For Yuri: A special debt of gratitude to my parents, Carmen and Ted, who have been there for me through thick and thin, with unconditional love. That love has seen me through the good times and the bad. An immeasurable and special thanks to my brother, Demitri Downing, a pioneer in his own right, enlightening individuals, communities, companies and governments globally on the virtues of cannabis reform on economic development, social justice and public policy. I realized while writing this book that you are indeed actually smarter than me.

Lastly, let me thank every man I met during three years of my unfortunate incarceration. Your stories provided empowering, yet cautionary tales with a common theme. Good information, calculated timing and solid planning greatly reduce the chances things will go awry. So it’s vital to get the right information, define your goals, create a viable (legal) plan, and execute with enthusiastic determination.

We both hope that this book will help each of you on your journey to greatness in the “Green Rush.” See you at the top!

 

These days, whether you turn on the news, browse online or read a newspaper, you will find some story having to do with the growth of the legal cannabis industry – “The Green Rush.” What was once taboo is now becoming commonplace, as more states and countries get involved in the multi-billion dollar industry.

However, like too many industries where big money is being made, if you are a woman or a person of color, you are lagging behind. Your representation is minimal because you may lack the skills, contacts, and a plan to get onboard. There is no doubt about it. You have paid a disproportionate price for the failed war on drugs, and are not reaping the benefits presented by this burgeoning new industry. You may even have been locked up in prison for marijuana possession charges, and as a result, have been unable to fully participate in the legal cannabis industry.

Being Black or Brown in the Green Rush provides a practical primer on getting into the legal cannabis industry, designed especially for you.

Ingrid and Yuri have provided a real, step-by-step guide that outlines how you can reach the pinnacle of success by participating in the industry, and secure your rightful place at the table of this phenomenal, once in a lifetime opportunity. This book exposes their wounds, and doesn’t sugarcoat the industry. It is a practical how-to guide that can get you from where you are to where you want to be. If you follow the steps outlined in the book, spend the time to learn, network and get educated, you will find the cannabis industry to be one of the most rewarding opportunities of your lifetime.

I’m sure there are many ideas and suggestions in this book that will guide you on your journey. Read it carefully and make notes.

Happy travels!

 

Awarded the Authority in Aspiring Entrepreneurs award by New York Times bestselling authors, Jack Canfield and Raymond Aaron, Ingrid has been an entrepreneur for more than 30 years. Raised in Chicago, Ingrid was always quick to recognize untapped opportunity. She launched a luxury sugar-free chocolate company in the height of the decadent 80s, and started a prepaid cellular company (before there was such a thing) in the late 90s. Ingrid later earned her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, receiving many awards while a law student. Ingrid relocated, with her teen daughter, to Arizona to join her family in the early 2000s. She enjoyed the fruits of the real estate market in 2006, and unfortunately experienced the bust in 2008. Ingrid became involved in the cannabis industry in its infancy in 2010. As this book outlines, she faced many of the trials and tribulations that are inherent in the industry, particularly as a woman of color, in a conservative state, whose politicians don’t support any sensible drug reform, including cannabis legalization. At the time she started in the industry, Ingrid was one of the few minority women for several years. The award-winning author lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her significant other, Eddy. She is currently focused on the Illinois market, working with women and people of color to get involved in the state’s ground-breaking social equity program.

Also awarded the Authority in Aspiring Entrepreneurs award by New York Times bestselling authors, Jack Canfield and Raymond Aaron, Yurikino (Yuri) Downing is recognized as one of the leading thought leaders in the cannabis market. In 2012, Yuri started one of the most successful dispensaries in Arizona, and built what was, at the time, the largest cultivation facility in the market. Yuri’s notoriety became more prominent, as he was one of the first people to realize “millionaire status” from that launch, and the eventual sale of his equity interest.

Subsequent to leaving that enterprise, Yuri launched Angel Shark Consulting. As the name suggests, combining his legal background, business acumen, and extensive network, Yuri works as an angel and a shark when necessary, to guide distressed owners in the market, through “organized chaos” to resolve their immediate issues. Whether you love him or hate him, make no mistake: Yuri will get the job done. Yuri currently has interest in projects throughout the US, and is currently working to bring a large scale educational program to the Latin America market as Mexico launches its adult use program. Yuri is also working on a reality television show, featuring dominant players in the cannabis/CBD market, which is scheduled to be broadcast on The Discovery Channel in 2021. The award-winning author is single, and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his dog, Coco Channel. He travels extensively, and will be conducting seminars and workshops to teach women and people of color the tools outlined in this book that will enable them to gain a foothold in the industry.

While both Yuri and Ingrid realize there is still more work to be done, they are elated to celebrate the progress towards inclusion that has been made in the industry. They are witnessing many more women and people of color forge their paths and make their mark. With this book, Ingrid and Yuri share their collective years of experience and an in-depth, real life blueprint, that when followed, should help the reader to realize the beginnings of phenomenal success in the legal cannabis industry.

HALF OF DRUG ARRESTS ARE POT RELATED, WASTING VALUABLE TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT COULD BE USED TO COMBAT THE METH, HEROIN, AND OPIOID EPIDEMIC.

40,000 PEOPLE ARE STILL INCARCERATED IN THE UNITED STATES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED OFFENSES WHILE CANNABIS LEGALIZATION EXPANDS.

BLACKS AND WHITES CONSUME POT AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME RATE, ALTHOUGH BLACKS ARE 3.73 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE ARRESTED FOR POT-RELATED INCIDENTS.

IN THE FEDERAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE AVERAGE BLACK DEFENDANT WILL SERVE 58.7 MONTHS FOR A NON-VIOLENT DRUG-RELATED OFFENSE. . . BY CONTRAST, A WHITE DEFENDANT WILL ONLY SERVE 3 MONTHS MORE FOR A VIOLENT CRIME.

PEOPLE OF COLOR WERE 7.5–8.5 TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN WHITES TO BE ARRESTED FOR POT POSSESSION IN IOWA, DC, MN, AND IL.*

THE LEGAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY IS PROJECTED TO BE A $20.2 BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY BY 2021.